Auto lunch box



H. MlLNE AUTO LUNCH BOX Dec. 30, I924.

Filed July 1923 i atented Dee. 30, 1924.-

UNETFEEE HARRY MILNE, OF EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO HARRY ARTHUR BLODGETT,

OF EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA.

AUTO LUNCH BOX.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HARRY MILNE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at the city of Edmonton, in the Province of Alberta, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Auto Lunch Boxes, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in auto lunch boxes and consists of a long box made of sheet metal and will fit 011 the running board of any make of automobile. Its height is just suflicient to allow the doors of the car to be opened when the box is a closed. The interior is fitted with two folding leaves hinged together and resting on a ledge formed near the top by the upper edges of the metal box being folded inward. There is sufiicient space between the leaves and the bottom of the box for storage of enough food for a lengthy trip or a number of persons or personal effects can be carried therein.

When required for use as atable, the cover of the box is opened and held so by a jackknife rod at one or both ends of the box, and the leaves are then unfolded and supported by two or more brackets. The brackets are made of two strips of metal hinged together. One strip is pivoted to the inner leaf so that when the leaves are folded, the brackets can be swung around lengthwise with the leaves and the two strips folded together. When the leaves are extended, the brackets are opened out and swung around so as to support the two leaves, the upper strip of the bracket fitting into a sleeve on either leaf to hold same rigid, and the end of the other strip fitting into a slot formed underneath the front edge of the box.

An ordinary hasp and staple are attached to the cover and box so that a padlock can be applied to keep the box locked when travelling or not in use.

I attain these objects by means of the mechanism more fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which z- Fig. 1 is a sectional end view of the box with leaves unfolded to form table.

Application filed July 21,

of box with leaves showing position of support- Fig. 2 is a front view extended and ing brackets.

Fig. 3 is a sectional end view showing the leaves folded within the box with the cover closed and locked.

Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the various views.

1 is the box made of sheet metal and having a hinged cover 2. 3 are the folding leaves, also made of sheet metal, and attached together by the hinge 4 formed by the'edge of each sheet. The inner leaf is attached to the front of the box by a number of hinges 5 which are riveted to the side of the box and the underside of the leaf. 6 are (55 the brackets formed of fiat steel strips and hinged together at the centre 7. The upper strips of the brackets 6 are pivoted to the inner leaf at 8 to allow the brackets to be swung around and folded within the leaves when box is closed. The lower strips of the brackets 6 have their ends slightly bent to fit into the slots 9 attached to the bottom of the box 1. Small clasps 10 are afiixed to the underside of either leaf to hold the upper 7 strips of brackets 6 in place when the leaves are extended. A ledge 11 is formed inside the box by the edges of the metal forming the sides being turned inward, and supports the leaves 3 when folded within the box. A jack-knife-rod 12 is attached to one or both ends of the box and cover, to keep the cover open when the leaves are in use. An ordinary hasp 13 is attached to the cover and engages with the staple 14 and locked by padlock 15.

The box can be suitably attached to the running board of an automobile by brackets or straps and can be used as a table without removing from the car.

What I claim as my invention is Inan auto lunch box, an elongated box having a lid closing down on the sides and ends, hinges secured to the front wall of the box, an extensible table secured to said 95 hinges and formed of inner and outer sections hinged to one another, and supporting brackets formed of a plurality of struts hav- 111g ofiset ends fitting into corresponding Signed at the city of Edmonton, this 29th sockets at the box bottom and inwardly exday 01": June, A. D. 1923.

tending strips pivotally secured to the outer HARRY MILNE [L (5 ends of the struts and pivoted to an inner section of tne extensible table and in 001- In the presence of lapsing the said table adapted to be swung GLAnYs CUFF, around lengthwise with the box. JAs. ALLARDIGE- 

